Oconto County board approves new broadband applications

$500,000 in matching funds OK’d to improve internet access in four northern county towns
By: 
Warren Bluhm
Editor-in-chief

The Oconto County Board has approved two more applications to the state Public Service Commission for projects developers say would improve broadband internet access to businesses and residents in the northern part of the county.

The PSC recently announced another round of broadband services grants of up to $100 million for unserved or underserved homes and businesses. Bertram Communications and the Oconto County Economic Development Corp. (OCEDC) approached the county board July 22 with projects to provide improved service in the Lakewood-Townsend area and the towns of Riverview and Mountain.

The Lakewood-Townsend project would serve an estimated 400 homes and businesses and would be completed in 2022-23. The project would cost $1.445 million, and the application is for a $945,710 grant that would be matched with $250,000 each from Bertram and from the county.

The Riverview-Mountain project would serve about 500 homes and businesses and is also targeted for 2022-23. The $2.095 million project would require a $1.595 million state grant with the county and Bertram again contributing $250,000 each.

The county’s share would come from the $7,367,458 that Oconto County is slated to receive through the federal American Rescue Plan.

The grant applications were approved after supervisors were briefed on the projects by Paul Ehrfurth, executive director of OCEDC, and Mark Dodge, director of business development for Bertram.

Ehrfurth said he’s learned a couple of things in the years he’s been working on broadband applications.

“No. 1, what a daunting task it is and what a challenge it is and how inadequate service is throughout Oconto County, and I’ve also learned the complexity of the problem in terms of technologies, topography, geography,” Ehrfurth said. “We have been fortunate to work with Bertram with these past two applications, and I gotta tell you: With all those providers out there, the only provider that has approached us and we’re working with on broadband is Bertram Communications.”

Bertram currently has 14 sites providing internet access throughout the county — 10 with the support of the county board and OCEDC, Dodge said.

His father is a heart patient who lives in northern Oconto County, and the family learned firsthand how hard it is to get online, he said.

“We were driving a half-hour to either Shawano or up in Lakewood to a coffee shop for us to be able to transmit his health information, and in 2021 you shouldn’t have to,” Dodge said.

The PSC announced its latest round of grants on June 1 with a deadline to submit applications by July 27, a quick turnaround, Ehrfurth said. Another $130 million in grants is expected to be made available in the fall.

Bertram brought four proposals in all to the county this time around, and the Finance/Personnel Committee voted to bring these two forward, holding back for now on projects to serve the towns of Doty and Brazeau, Ehrfurth said.

Supervisor Don Bartels Jr. urged the board to approve the applications.

“The northern part of the county is horribly served,” Bartels said. He urged the supervisors to pass “anything you can do to boost the economy of not only northern Oconto County, but the entire county.”

The resolutions passed on identical 27-1 votes.